Web of Chaos
by Cobalt1
Summary: A Ranma crossover. The Creator is bored, and has this little threat to deal with. Hum… Two birds with one stone? Sounds like fun.
1. Stop the world, I want to get off.

This little piece of insanity is the reason I'm posting now.  
The idea behind it was a question I asked myself:  
  
How could someone slot several series together without actually disrupting the various   
canon for each?  
  
Here, in about 43k of text, is my answer.  
  
I even had something akin to a prereader for this, although we don't know how it really   
happened.  
So I'd like to thank Louis-Philippe Giroux dragon@fanfic.net for his input. Go   
read Lines Of Destiny at:  
http://www.anime.sobhrach.com/~dragon/lines/lines.html  
  
C&C to cobalt@elhazard.net please, Flames to /dev/null.  
  
Standard disclaimers apply. I don't own the series depicted within, but go buy them anyway.  
  
Conventions:  
~ ~ are used for thoughts and Telepathic communications.  
'-kun' and '-chan' will be used to denote Male and Female where appropriate.  
  
This fic is archived at:  
My page http://www.lum.co.uk/cobalt/  
Phu's Anime Page http://members.nbci.com/phu_lam/  
  
----------------  
The Web of Chaos  
----------------  
  
########  
Prologue  
########  
  
The Creator was bored.  
  
This happened a lot. Simply a consequence of too much free time. I mean, once you don't   
have to worry about running the Universe(s) you've created, all that extra available time   
seems (if you'll pardon the pun) a godsend.  
Thus, The Creator, Who preferred the male aspect of Kami-sama (He liked having the hair)   
at the present time, got bored from lack of things too do. Sure He could intervene at time,   
trying to liven things up, but He couldn't go down and walk among His creations. At least   
not all that often.  
'With great power comes great responsibility.' He pondered on those words. It looked like   
He'd created a Universal Truth or two.  
He sighed, and looked down upon three of his daughters, and the most worthy mortal who   
had brought them there, sleeping in a temple in Nekomi. It was fun there, He noted, but   
things were settling down.  
He cast his gaze wider, to Juuban in Tokyo. This little group in the area seemed likely to   
succeed in the Destiny He had created for them. Things were going well, and were fun.  
On to Nerima. Lots of fun here, but there was the possibility of problems. He might even   
have to poke someone in the right direction. Jusenkyo had been a worthy idea after all.  
A tang of power brought His attention to a shrine in the mountains. Yes, this could be a   
problem. Things definitely needed working on.  
He blinked, as he noticed a near-collapsed thread of Destiny trailing from the shrine to a   
school in Shininome. Ah yes, this little play. It reminded Him much of His Daughter and her   
boyfriend.  
  
Kami-sama's gaze wondered the world, seeking out those special individuals and looking to   
see if there was fun to be had. It should be noted Kami-sama does not allow Himself to view   
the future so He can keep things interesting.  
When he felt the nightmare rip through the mind of one of His Daughters on the mortal   
plane, He was justifiably intrigued. He watched the vision, then sent Her back to a peaceful   
sleep.  
  
Long did Kami-sama ponder the vision. Destiny was under threat. Something needed to be   
done. If He handled this right, the danger would be averted and He would see such fun as   
He'd not seen in Days.  
  
Kami-sama smiled to Himself. Let the games begin.  
  
***  
  
"Urd," Keiichi sighed exasperatedly, "I know you were trying to help but..."  
He turned to look sadly at the pile of parts that had once been an engine.  
Megumi shook her head in wonder. Keiichi, her brother, had been living with not one, or   
two, but THREE goddesses. For nearly 18 months. With this sort of thing going on. And   
still he somehow managed to be, well, Keiichi. Megumi just about freaked when she'd found   
out about it last month. Over the past month she'd met Peorth AND Mara, seen magic up   
close and personal, had Urd try to set her up, had Skuld try to beat her in another Robot Wars   
competition AND have to have Belldandy over for a Girls night at her place.  
The Middle Goddess herself turned up at that moment, took one look at the three blackened   
figures, and sighed.  
"Urd, I'd believed you had learned not to bother Keiichi with his projects." She said.  
"I'm getting bored around here. I want to do SOMETHING to help."  
"Get a Job?" Megumi suggested. "With all those concoctions of yours..." Urd frowned at   
the word concoctions, "... I'm sure you could find some work with Chemistry."  
The look on Urd's face did not encourage Keiichi, so he used all his knowledge of her and   
said something he was already sure he'd regret.  
"How about as a teacher? All those students..." He left it hanging.  
Only Belldandy saw the new respect Urd suddenly had towards her Keiichi at that moment.  
"I'll try." The Elder Goddess said, before walking in to grab the newspaper. She wouldn't   
have admitted it, but she was learning a bit more control these days, mostly to stop herself   
from hurting Keiichi and now Megumi.  
Maybe if she could get Megumi a wish... Aha! Furinkan High School in Nerima needed a   
Chemistry teacher. The requirement for combat skills was odd though...  
  
Kami-sama was pleased.  
  
***  
  
Usagi was wailing, a regular occurrence around her friends. The reason why, however, was   
surprising to even the unflappable Setsuna.  
"Whaa! We've destroyed the school!"  
The rest of the senshi sweatdropped. This from Usagi?  
"Why are you so upset?" Ami asked. "It's not like school's in at the moment."  
"But I'll have to get up so much earlier to go to school while it's being rebuilt!"  
Minako paled.  
"Dear Lord! I didn't realise!" The blond-hared Senshi trembled.  
The rest just sighed. Figures.  
  
***  
  
"I'm gonna die." Makoto Mizuhara muttered to himself, then chuckled slightly.  
Across the table Ifurita raised an eyebrow.  
"What's wrong?" She asked. She'd have thought that Makoto would have been pleased she   
was getting a job.  
"Remember that discussion we had last Tuesday?"  
Ifurita did, then sighed.  
"I would see that it would be a problem. Student-Teacher relationships would be against the   
rules. I'll phone him back and explain the situation."  
Makoto picked at his food. At least they'd got Ifurita to 90% of operating capacity. She   
could run at full battle mode for 4 days, and survive on normal food for extended periods   
now. He looked up as she came back in from the hall of the apartment they shared now. The   
Demon-God had a puzzled look on her face.  
"He said 'Da big Kahuna is in dat seat as well man. It be no problem.' then something   
about Pineapples."  
Makoto looked at her, then shrugged.  
"Fine." He didn't want to ask.  
  
***  
  
~ Why oh why do they have to be visiting now, of all times? ~ Tenchi despaired as he   
climbed the stairs to the shrine office. He knew his Grandfather and Great-grandmother   
would be there, as would Washu and probably his Great-great-aunt. But the forms HAD to   
be sent off today.  
"Come in Tenchi." His Grandfather's voice came through the door.  
"Um. Sorry to disturb you Grandfather, Washu-chan, Your Majesties." Tenchi apologised,   
then turned towards the priest. "I need to talk to you in private Grandfather." He paused.   
"Now." The last word stressed the urgency.  
"Later Tenchi."  
"So you WANT the Ministry to come here then?" Tenchi quickly countered. "Stop putting   
the things off or I'll carry through with that idea of mine."  
The three ladies saw Yosho tense up.  
"Fine. Hand them here." The priest turned to his guests. "This will only take a minute."  
Tenchi waited until he'd made sure his Grandfather had filled in and signed the forms,   
before taking them back.  
"See? That wasn't so bad." Tenchi told the older man, before bowing respectfully and   
leaving.  
"What was that about?" Washu asked.  
"His school forms." Yosho replied.  
Funaho calmly sipped her tea.  
"I believe our previous discussion can be put to one side for the moment. I feel we need to   
discuss things relevant to what has just occurred."  
  
***  
  
Kami-sama watched all this and smiled. Things were turning out nicely. Just one more   
twist...  
  
***  
  
"NANI!?!"  
Belldandy, Megumi and Keiichi looked up from their meal at the shout from Skuld.  
"I wonder what's got her all riled up?" Keiichi asked as the sounds of arguing came   
floating in.  
They waited a little while before an angry Skuld slouched into the room.  
"What's the matter Skuld?" Belldandy asked.  
"Kami-sama decided I've got to go to school." Skuld sulked. "It's all set up."  
"Which school?" Megumi asked.  
"Furinkan High School in Nerima."  
Keiichi put his head in his hands and groaned.  
"What is it Keiichi?" Belldandy asked worriedly.  
"It's the school that Urd just got a job at."  
Megumi got a bad feeling about this...  
  
***  
  
Toltiir looked down at what was happening around the popular bunch of mortals in Nerima   
and almost had what would count as a combination heart attack and severe stroke, or   
apoplexy, from sheer excitement alone.  
  
"Recording equipment..." The feline god murmured. Then he passed out.  
  
Kami-sama had the presence of mind to switch on the anti-sound field around His office   
before doubling over in laughter.  
  
#########  
Chapter 1  
#########  
  
Tenchi walked along the street towards the school, ignoring the two ladies behind him. Of   
course They would do something like this to him.  
So deep in thought about everything that could go wrong, he didn't notice the raving lunatic   
at the gates until he walked into the boken.  
"Hold Knave! Who dares have the effrontery to ignore me?"  
~ Oh Great. ~ Tenchi could feel Ryoko and Ayeka powering up. He raised a hand and   
waved them off. He looked up to see the person holding the boken looking down with   
arrogance. His assailant was wearing what Tenchi expected, a kendo outfit.  
"Hello Kuno." Tenchi replied darkly.  
  
***  
  
Ranma, Akane and Nabiki were heading to school together. Nabiki was usually alone at   
this time, but Ranma had pointed out that they all had a better chance of avoiding Kuno if   
they came early.  
"Looks like we were wrong." Akane groaned as the gates came into view.  
"I wonder who the guy Kuno's focusing on is." Nabiki added.  
When they were close enough they began paying attention to the drama at the school gates.  
The guy Kuno was haranguing finally looked up.  
"Hello Kuno."  
The three of them blinked as Kuno paled and took a step back.  
"So! The Dark Warlord comes to these hallowed halls. The Heavens are with me! Prepare   
to meet thy doom Tenchi Masaki!"  
"Ten-chan?" Ranma whispered in shock.  
The two Tendo sisters were stunned when they felt the gale of Ranma running at full speed.  
The idiotic kendoist had barely raised his weapon when he was restrained rather forcefully.  
"I really wouldn't do that if I were you Kuno." Ranma growled.  
"The foul magus Saotome as well. I will smite thee later." Kuno pronounced, trying to free   
his weapon.  
Ranma ignored him and cheerily greeted the other young man.  
"Hiya Ten-chan! Been a long time."  
Tenchi blinked. Only one person had ever called him that.  
"Ran-chan?"  
He got a smiling nod.  
Ryoko and Ayeka were confused. First off by being asked to back off. Second was the fact   
Tenchi KNEW the idiot with the boken. Third was that Tenchi LOATHED him. Tenchi had   
never hated anyone while they'd known him. Fourth was a young man in a red and black   
outfit who knew Tenchi well enough to call him Ten-chan.  
"I think I recognise him." Ryoko whispered to her purple-hared companion. "Tenchi's   
cousin I think."  
"You know Mr. Samurai Film here?" Tenchi asked.  
"Old Blue Blunder? Yeah. Goes for Shakespeare at the moment." Ranma wrenched the   
boken out of Kuno's grip and tossed it to Tenchi.  
"Dark sorcery was how you won after all." Kuno glared at Tenchi. "And ensnaring fair   
maidens like your demonic accomplice. You will be defeated by my hand..." The deranged   
kendoist was really working up a full head of steam, ranting and raving as was his wont to do.  
Ranma and Tenchi looked at each other before Tenchi ripped into Kuno with an   
astonishingly complex kata. Ranma followed up with a vertical hurricane kick, launching the   
kendoist.  
"Hey Ten-chan, watch this." Ranma said before gathering his chi.  
Kuno was on the downward arc of his flight when Ranma unleashed his chi blast.  
"Mouko Takabisha!"  
"Nice." Tenchi whistled.  
There was a chuckle behind them.  
"There definitely no doubting your entrances now Tenchi, is there?"  
Tenchi turned to face the young man behind him, and allowed himself a small smile.  
"Hi Makoto. You come here too?"  
Makoto shrugged.  
"Starting today."  
Tenchi made the introductions.  
"Makoto Mizuhara, Ranma Saotome."  
"C'mon you guys." Ranma said. "You don't want to be late in this school."  
  
***  
  
While Ranma was playing, two young ladies were stood there looking confused.  
"What do you think that was about?" Akane asked her older sister.  
"I'll find out." Nabiki answered.  
"Akane-chan? Nabiki-chan?" A voice asked from behind them.  
They turned round.  
"Ami-chan!?!" They exclaimed.  
Ami Mizuno smiled embarrassedly at the two. Behind her was a large group of girls,   
looking slightly stunned.  
"We haven't seen you in ages. How have you been?" Akane asked.  
Nabiki was smiling her rare warm smile.  
"C'mon Sis, you can tell us."  
"SIS?!?" Most of the group behind exploded.  
Ami sighed. Nabiki would have to say that out loud.  
"Long story."  
"We'd better get to class." Rei said.  
"There seems to be someone blocking the way." Makoto pointed out.  
"Ranma should clear the gates in a few seconds." Nabiki shrugged.  
"Ranma?" Rei asked, interested. "As in Ranma Saotome?"  
The Senshi wondered why the two Tendo's tensed up.  
"Um. Yeah." Akane answered. "Why?"  
Rei smiled.  
"Rei Hino. I'm his cousin."  
Again the Senshi wondered as the two girls relaxed.  
"Come on. You don't want to be late." Akane warned them.  
Minako blinked.  
"Why?"  
"They're my friends Nabiki." Ami warned, knowing what Nabiki's reaction to an   
information request would be. She wondered if it was instinctive.  
"I'll get some dossiers to you at 500 yen each." The elder Tendo replied. "Lunch do?"  
"Quarter price?" Akane said as they made their way into school. "There's some hope for   
you yet."  
Michiru blinked, then turned to Haruka.  
"I'm getting a really bad feeling about this." She told her lover, then stopped and stared   
along with the other Senshi at the chi attack Ranma launched.  
"I think Setsuna would have a bad feeling." Haruka replied.  
  
***  
  
Most of the new body of students were wondering why Principal Kuno was wearing a loud   
Hawaiian shirt and apparently had a palm tree on top of his head. Tenchi, Ayeka and Ryoko   
just sighed and thought the same thing upon hearing his name.  
~ Figures. ~  
"Da Big Kahuna is real pleased to introduce to you new teachers!" He ignored the groan   
from the regular student body and gestured to the side of the hall. A curtain rose.  
Tenchi, Makoto and Skuld were the only ones even remotely ready for the sight behind the   
curtain.  
Most of the male student body began to drool. The female student body began to fume.   
The old student body groaned inwardly, remembering Hinako-sensei. The Senshi considered   
a collective facefault. Ayeka and Ryoko considered doing the same.  
"Meioh-sensei is da new History teacher." Principal Kuno started off at the far end of the   
row. The Senshi of Time sat there calmly, wearing a smart business suit. The only odd thing   
was the skirt had bee modified to allow greater ease of movement. It also allowed an   
enhanced view of the Senshi's long legs, which caused no end of consternation for the   
student body.  
"Urd-sensei be da new Chemistry teacher, but be also helping out with languages and   
history." The bronze-skinned, platinum-hared Goddess was wearing a luxurious, gold   
embroidered navy-blue Chinese dress, which was cut in typical Urd fashion. Slit high on the   
hips to show off her legs, low cut at the neck to show off her bosom and tight to enhance her   
figure. The fact that Urd could prance about like a showgirl in a leotard was not noticed. She   
also came fully charged, with four moon bracelets and a necklace whose stones would allow   
her instant access to her weapons in a real emergency.  
"Ifurita-sensei be doing Math and da new Computer Science lessons." The El-Hazardian   
Demon-God was dressed casually in a plain white blouse, tight blue jeans, trainers and jacket.   
The ensemble made her seem like an ordinary, if stunning, young woman. She had tied her   
pale-blue hair back into a simple ponytail and wore a light amount of makeup, which had the   
net effect of relaxing the young ladies of Furinkan. It didn't hurt that Makoto had fully   
charged her that morning.  
"Professor Washu be new head of Science in school." The only really noticeable thing   
about Washu was the fact she was in adult form. Of course this didn't really matter in a   
school where Hinako-sensei was a member of staff, but Washu did want to keep up   
appearances. Other than that, Washu was wearing one of her typical outfits; Red waistcoat   
over white blouse and skirt and tights. Being adult did have one other effect, that of the   
waistcoat being near skin tight.  
The sum total of those four on stage together was roughly the same as twelve Miss   
Hinako's.  
"I be sure you welcome them to school!"  
Ranma summed up the general feeling.  
"Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse."  
  
***  
  
Hotaru watched the girl with the sky-blue hair and twin long pigtails and came to a decision.  
"Chibi-Usa, I think we should go talk to her."  
Chibi-Usa sighed. She'd figured that her friend would do that. She had come to that   
decision a while ago, and had been trying to figure out where she'd seen someone like her   
while Hotaru made up her mind.  
"OK. She does look lonely."  
Sasami looked up when two shadows fell over her, to see two smiling faces.  
"Hi!" Chibi-Usa started. "I'm Chibi-Usa and this is Hotaru. What's your name?"  
"Um. Sasami." The azure-hared princess replied nervously.  
"Well Sasami," Hotaru said. "You look lonely. Want some friends?"  
Deep inside the little princess Tsunami did a quick scan. Then did another one to make sure   
the readings she got were correct.  
~ Tsunami: Go for it! ~  
Sasami brightened up.  
"Sure!" She smiled.  
  
***  
  
"My learned Beauty...!" Kuno cried, leaping forward ALA Happosai.  
KER-ZAP!  
Urd shook her head sadly.  
"What have I told you about hitting on a teacher, Kuno-san?" She told the twitching,   
blackened mass on the floor.  
Haruka and Michiru were developing nervous twitches while Nabiki just sighed.  
"Three times in one lesson. That's a new record for you, isn't it Kuno-baby?"  
Kuno groaned.  
  
***  
  
The English class was not going well. Ever since Hinako-sensei had entered the room in   
chibi form, one of the new boys near the front had been making snide comments. Finally   
Hinako-sensei lost patience.  
"Silence delinquent, or I'll punish you!"  
"How are you going to do that little girl?" The boy sneered. "Cry and run to your   
mommy?"  
  
This was, of course, the WRONG thing to say.  
  
Makoto-chan and Minako looked on in shock as Hinako-sensei drained the chi from the boy   
who had been insulting her, turning adult and causing the other new boys to drool.  
"I'm glad I'm good at English." Minako muttered.  
  
***  
  
Ifurita picked up the young man she'd just stunned and placed him back in his seat. The   
fact she had done this without getting up from her desk at the front did not go unnoticed by   
the class.  
"I wonder how she did that?" Ayeka muttered.  
"Interesting isn't it?" Ryoko agreed.  
The two of them were in a different class to Tenchi, surprisingly at their own request.  
"I wonder how many elements she can control?" Rei pondered on the other side of Ayeka   
as a ball of water formed in front of the poor unfortunate and squirted him awake. She'd seen   
stranger things as a Senshi, but this school was starting to give her a headache.  
  
***  
  
Skuld had thoroughly enjoyed her science class with Professor Washu. She had not been as   
stimulated as when the Professor dropped a statue onto the head of someone who wasn't   
paying attention. Wondering how the redhead had got it to stay there had occupied her   
enough so that she didn't get bored with the schoolwork.  
~ You know, this might not be all bad after all. ~ The young goddess thought to herself.  
  
***  
  
Tenchi, Makoto-kun, Ami and Usagi had ended up in the same class as Ranma and Akane.  
  
And absolutely nothing had happened since the start of the lesson.  
  
Even Makoto-kun and Tenchi, being good students, were bored and they could tell.  
"Ranma Saotome prepare to die!" Ryoga yelled as he jumped in the window, shattering it.  
"Jeez Ryoga! What is it now?" Ranma dodged then jump kicked himself and opponent out   
the now broken window.  
There were a few moments of silence before Ami turned to Akane.  
"This happen a lot?" She asked blandly.  
Akane sighed.  
"I'm afraid so."  
"Y'know," Makoto-kun observed, "boredom sounds very appealing about now."  
"Yeah." Tenchi sighed.  
  
***  
  
Lunch time. And a very large group had gathered to one side, busily eating and getting to   
know each other. When the group in question contained seven Senshi, four of the Nerima   
wrecking crew, two members of alien royalty, one former most-wanted space pirate and one   
dimensional traveller, Fate might as well have painted a great big bulls-eye on the table.   
Nabiki had brought 20 dossiers on the school to the table. She now had 10000 yen in her   
pocket.  
"Ran-chan? What's this about a curse?" Tenchi asked. Ukyo fumed at the fact that   
someone else called Ranma Ran-chan.  
Ranma sighed at the intent looks he was receiving. Rei in particular was intent on hearing   
this.  
"First off, do you believe in magic?" He asked the group around him.  
"With the Sailor Senshi around, who doesn't?" Makoto-chan said.  
"They actually exist?" Nabiki exclaimed.  
"Oh yes." Ami answered.  
"Well there's this place in China called Jusenkyo." Ranma explained. "It has these cursed   
springs that change whoever falls into them into what last drowned there. Pops and me went   
there on our training trip. He fell in the Spring of Drowned Panda and I..." He reached over   
and splashed himself with cold water, "...fell in the Spring of Drowned Girl." She finished.  
Rei, who was staring in a mixture of fascination and horror, broke the silence.  
"So you've had an eventful life cousin?" She asked, voice cracking a bit.  
"Too eventful." Ranma-chan replied. "Pops has caused me no end of trouble."  
"Like the three engagements." Nabiki pointed out.  
"Isn't the illegal?" Haruka asked.  
"Tell them that." Ranma-chan groused.  
"You have girl problems too?" Makoto-kun and Tenchi asked. The three of them blinked,   
looked at each other, then put their hands in their heads in defeat.  
"You know, Ranma looks pretty good in his cursed form." Minako pointed out. Ranma-  
chan's head snapped up.  
"Don't. Even. Go. There." She growled. The voice made Pluto sound warm and inviting.  
"Um, Mina-chan?" Usagi asked. "Did you read this bit?" She pointed to the section on   
Tatewaki Kuno and read it out. "Kuno is currently fixated on Akane Tendo and his 'Pig-  
tailed Goddess'."  
The rest of the group looked at the depressed Ranma-chan.  
"Oops." Minako said. "I'm sorry Ranma."  
Akane grabbed some hot water and poured it over Ranma's head, changing him back.  
"At least Mousse and Shampoo haven't turned up." He sighed.  
  
***  
  
Setsuna looked down from her window seat and sighed. The time stream had been altered   
to this path from it's previous one, and nothing she could do would turn it back. It was if the   
Gods themselves had... No, she would have felt their presence. That left one choice.  
~ I better do my research very quickly. ~ She realised resignedly. There was NO way she   
could reverse this.  
Across the room Ifurita sat, stirring an unhealthy amount of sugar into her ultra-strong   
coffee. She didn't need it, but it felt the right thing to do. Apparently there were at least two   
aliens and one near human with an odd but strong power signature. From the telepathic link   
she now shared with Makoto, she'd have yet more information on this unusual school at   
home tonight.  
~ I wonder if I could risk an active sensor scan? ~ She mused.  
Urd would have been bouncing in delight, if she hadn't done a brief mind scan of her   
classes. It drained away all her enthusiasm for matchmaking.  
~ The Senshi survived? Dear Kami-sama! I shudder to think what it cost Serenity... ~ She   
briefly paused to stop the feelings of grief from rising again. ~ I don't blame Him for   
keeping this quiet. If Hell knew... ~ Memories of her brief time as the Lord of Terror told   
her more than she wanted to know about this. Peorth might not like Bell, but she needed at   
least two First class goddesses to set up the wards. Heck, if it involved helping THAT little   
group, the two of them would happily sleep together. A brief vision of involving Keiichi and   
those two rocked even her experienced mind.  
Washu slouched in a resigned depression.  
~ It's all so...so... Primitive! ~ She complained.  
At least she'd tagged one power source of interest. The readings felt hauntingly familiar to   
her though. The girl she'd tagged also seemed to be very, VERY good at science. Ah well,   
setting up and hiding from that Tendo girl Nabiki would take some work. An interesting   
specimen that one.  
Unknowingly, the four of them simultaneously decided to risk an active scan at the same   
moment. Looking at each other cautiously, they sized each other up before Setsuna beckoned   
them over to the table she was sitting at.  
"I think we need to discuss a few things..." She said.  
  
***  
  
During his stay in El Hazard, Makoto had developed a taste for the open air. None of his   
friends had said anything, but he guessed they approved that he didn't spend all his time nose   
down in books.  
"Ah my fair young bloom. Thy raven hair and pale skin accentuate thine exotic air."  
~ That sounded like that idiot... Kuno, wasn't it? ~ Makoto thought as he turned to see   
what was happening a few metres away. ~ I think I should go help the lady. ~  
Skuld was rapidly moving from shock to anger as she watched Kuno perform his speech.  
"May I perchance know the name of this otherworldly beauty?"  
She could sense the fleeting affection the kendoist, and felt insulted by the idiot.  
"Is there a problem?" A second voice asked from the side. The man (and he was a man,   
despite wearing the uniform of the school. Skuld wondered what he was doing here) who   
had spoken had an intelligence, a warmth and a kindness the...the...BAKA in front of her   
most definitely lacked. Also he'd caused said baka to go into a spluttering indignant fury   
with just his first sentence, a plus point or twenty in her eyes.  
"Makoto Mizuhara, Second year." He introduced himself.  
"Skuld Fairchild, First year." She replied.  
Makoto turned to Kuno. "Is this the way a third year student typically acts?" He asked.   
"Accosting first year students like no more than a common bully? I'd have thought you   
would know better Upperclassman... Kuno, isn't it?"  
"How dare you interrupt me, foul miscreant! Such beauty should not be defiled by contact   
with such as you!" Kuno spat.  
Makoto saw Skuld pull out a strange sphere with tubes looped over it. It felt like a bomb.   
Powerful too.  
"I believe the lady can speak for herself." Makoto replied and backed away as Kuno turned   
his attention back to the girl.  
"Thank you for your concern." Skuld said sweetly, prompting Makoto to take a few MORE   
steps away. "As a token of my appreciation, please accept this." She handed him the ball.  
"Oh Beauteous Flower," Kuno spewed forth, not noticing Skuld quickly join Makoto a safe   
distance away, "Mine heart is filled-"  
The explosion blasted Kuno into the sky, apparently heading for Near Earth Orbit and   
preventing them from finding out just what Kuno's heart was filled with. Much to their   
relief.  
"Not bad." Makoto commented absently, watching the speck.  
"Do you think the yield was too high?" Skuld asked as Kuno disappeared over the horizon.  
The two of them looked at each other.  
"Nah." They said in unison.  
"How weird can this place get?" Skuld wondered as the two of them walked back into   
school.  
"Maybe I should introduce you to Nabiki." Makoto replied. "She'll have a few spare   
dossiers available. But it'll cost you." He warned.  
"If it stops things like that happening again, I'll pay."  
  
***  
  
Hotaru, Chibi-Usa and Sasami were having a nice conversation when the shadow fell over   
them. The three of them were getting along very well.  
A gang of boys loomed over them. The largest sneered.  
"Well lookie here. The freak decided to come back." He jeered.  
A little way away Miss Hanaka sighed. Poor Hotaru, every time she seemed to have a bit of   
luck this happened. She moved to head it off, but sped up as one of the bullies raised his fist.  
"Leave her alone!" The blue-hared little girl yelled as she got in the way. Sasami Masaki   
wasn't it? She was going to get hurt.  
"Aw, ain't that sweet." The boy who was obviously the leader said as Sasami faced him off.   
"The freak's girlfriend will protwect her." He babied the sentence up to really insult her, then   
lunged. He was rather surprised that the weak little girl wasn't there.  
Sasami ducked under and left of the attempted punch, jabbing her left fist hard into the   
leader's stomach before dropping low and sweeping his leg out from under him. The boy   
landed hard and didn't get his breath back before Sasami put her foot to his throat.  
"That's enough Masaki-san." Miss Hanaka said, more calmly than she felt. Who'd let a   
practising martial artist into school?  
"Sorry Hanaka-sensei." Sasami said nervously. She hadn't practised for a while now, so   
didn't know if she'd controlled herself enough.  
~ Why do I feel that bullying will be a thing of the past? ~ Miss Hanaka thought.  
  
***  
  
The four new teachers trudged back into the staff room after sorting out the mess in the   
lunch hall. Shampoo had come to visit her 'Airen' with lunch. With Skuld at the table, said   
lunch was quickly found to be drugged. Close behind that discovery was the arrival of   
Mousse.  
  
Insert typical Nerima chaos at this point. You get the idea.  
  
"He must have been using some sort of subspace technique." Washu muttered. "How else   
could he have carried all that?"  
"I wonder how that girl turned into a cat." A rather frazzled Setsuna put in. She'd known   
that Jusenkyo existed, and that people cursed there transformed when splashed with water.   
But this was the first time she'd personally seen it happen. The main reason she was frazzled   
was the fact that a Jusenkyo cursed person tended to warp probability fairly severely.  
"Rather strange style that Girl, um Boy, used." Ifurita noted. She wondered if she wanted   
to learn a style that allowed you to slice through tables at a distance, especially given the   
obvious drawbacks involved.  
"The Neko-Ken." Urd said darkly. "I'm going to bring up his parents on child abuse   
charges."  
"Why?" Washu asked.  
"Because the training is barbaric." Urd shuddered. "I suggest we keep him away from cats   
for the time being."  
Setsuna sat carefully and gently touched her shoulder. She winced.  
"I'm out of practice." She complained.  
"That Bo work was very good." Ifurita complimented her fellow teacher. "But nobody   
could have dodged all that rubble."  
"Where did that guy with the bandanna go anyway?" Urd asked, remembering how he had   
exploded the wall to enter. She hadn't smelled any explosive compounds.  
"Been dealing with the local delinquents I see." Miss Hinako said as she entered the room   
in adult form. She headed over to the coffee pot and poured herself one, before sitting down   
herself. The others only found it slightly strange when she shrunk down to her child form.  
"But I think you should know that things can get worse." The girl-teacher added. "But at   
least the jobs never boring."  
Ifurita seriously considered hitting the child with a cushion.  
  
***  
  
Physical Education.  
  
A game of softball for the girls, athletics for the boys. Nice, simple and peaceful.  
  
Oops, sorry. Wrong school. Don't know where that came from.  
  
Furinkan High School had known weirdness. But the girls staring at the guys for a change   
WAS strange.  
Makoto-kun was running round the track, admiring eyes following.  
Ranma was on the bars, showing a grace and power that some of the girls found irresistible.  
Tenchi was pole-vaulting. Without the mat to break his fall. He didn't seem to mind.  
In fact, the three of them were, ever so slightly, showing off. Makoto was on his eighth lap   
in about 7 minutes, Tenchi was approaching seven metres and Ranma looked like he was   
readying himself for a gold medal.  
Thus a fair number of the girls were drooling. Those not drooling were playing something   
like softball. Some bright spark had put Ayeka and Ryoko on the same team as Akane and   
Makoto-chan. Most of the time the other team was getting out of the way as some very fast   
balls came at them.  
"That wasn't a game." Rei said as that team came off the field. "It was a slaughter." She   
shrugged. "Not that anybody else noticed." She added quietly, looking over with disgust at   
the drooling Minako and Usagi. Even Ami was looking in that direction, though she was   
surreptitiously using the Mercury computer to scan them. Some of the readings were   
unbelievable, so she kept quiet. Besides, there was that file Nabiki-chan had provided. It   
wouldn't be long before she had a lot more on the new students.  
~ I'd better warn the others. ~ Ami thought. ~ Nabiki-chan is more than capable of   
finding out our secret. And selling it to the highest bidder. ~  
"O HOHOHOHOHOHO!!!!" The laugh cut through the daydreams of most of the students.  
"What the hell was that?" Minako asked.  
Akane and Ukyo just sighed.  
"Kodachi." They said.  
Ranma was already shuddering. Couldn't he get through a single day without encountering   
the damn crazy Kuno family? Boken-boy was bad enough.  
"Ranma-sama!" The deranged gymnast called as she landed in a swirl of black rose petals,   
twirling her ribbon.  
Tenchi walked up to his cousin.  
"Friend of yours?" He asked.  
"Don't start Ten-chan." Ranma complained.  
Kodachi took one step forward, and the ground exploded from underneath her. When the   
smoke cleared a blackened and burnt young woman stood there, blinked a few times, then   
collapsed.  
Ranma looked over at the skinny group of boys that comprised the chemistry club.  
"I thought you guys cleared up all those mines!" He called.  
Ami watched this, got up and walked over to Akane.  
"So..." She asked. "Is it always like this?"  
"Nah." Akane replied, not noticing Ami's expression of relief before continuing. "Today's   
pretty tame."  
She definitely heard Ami's body hitting the ground in a faint.  
  
***  
  
Early evening.  
  
School had been out for hours. Homework had been done (or attempted at least) and dinner   
was being served.  
"Wow." That was all Hotaru could say at the experiences of her foster parents.  
"Well that's one way of putting it Hotaru-chan." Haruka muttered loudly. She turned on   
Setsuna. "I very much doubt this was in your plans."  
"It wasn't." Setsuna admitted. "But I can't undo what has been done, so we must live with   
it."  
  
***  
  
Ifurita closed her copy of the dossier Makoto had bought her, sat back, and tried to sum up   
the situation.  
"I think..."  
"Hum?" Makoto prompted her.  
"I think 'Oh Shit' would be the appropriate response."  
"We must have faced worse." Makoto scoffed.  
Ifurita turned to look her love in the eyes.  
"Not by much."  
  
***  
  
Skuld was busy at her computer, trying to get a handle on the information in the dossier   
open beside her. Unfortunately, most of the files on Jusenkyo were locked.  
In the dining room Urd was waiting for Bell to come back in from the kitchen. Keiichi was   
outside with Megumi working on an engine.  
Belldandy came into the room to pick up the remaining tea things, but paused as she felt   
Urd's privacy spell snap into being around her.  
"Urd!" She rounded on her older sister.  
"Put the pots down, come over here and sit down LITTLE sister." Urd said calmly. She   
hated having to pull seniority like this.  
The raw seriousness in Urd's voice, not to mention the sheer power she had put into the   
privacy spell, really got Belldandy's attention.  
"What is it sister?" Bell asked in a worried tone.  
"Certain...information has come to my attention concerning a...certain group Hell would do   
ANYTHING to...neutralise. As the only Class 1 deity available, I'm going to have to bring   
you in on this. I want your promise that you will not tell anyone but Kami-sama about this,   
unless that being happens to be part of our group."  
"Urd, you're scaring me."  
"Good." The Goddess of the Past stared hard at her younger sister, the Goddess of the   
Present. "I need that promise."  
"I promise, as a Goddess First class, not to divulge any of the information I am about to   
receive to anyone other than Kami-sama or a member of the group dealing with this."   
Belldandy didn't pay attention to the 'click' she felt at that pronouncement. She was curious   
and a little scared at the measures Urd was taking.  
Urd nodded slowly and said three words.  
"The Senshi survived."  
To Belldandy, Urd might as well have pronounced the end of the world.  
"All...all of them?" She asked weakly.  
"Yes, all eight plus the Prince of Earth and the Moon Princess."  
Bell leaned on the table to stop from fainting.  
"Also," Urd added, "There are a lot of individuals of high power there."  
"How high?" The Goddess of the Present whispered hoarsely. She wasn't sure how much   
more she could take.  
"Several at deity level and one I'm not sure on. Maybe class zero equivalent."  
Bell just nodded.  
"I assume you want wards put up."  
It was Urd's turn to nod.  
"I'm going to need help." Bell pointed out.  
"I thought as much. We'd better discuss this."  
Belldandy could only agree.  
  
***  
  
Ranma was in a good mood. This helped in his major thrashing of his father during practice   
that evening. Nodoka noticed this, and the unusual good-natured smirk Nabiki was wearing.   
Even Akane seemed more pleasant than usual.  
"So son," Nodoka opened the conversation, "Have a good day at school?"  
"Yeah Mom. Ten-chan and Rei started at Furinkan today." The pig-tailed boy replied,   
absently deflecting his father's attempts to steal food from his plate.  
"And Ami-chan also started today Kasumi." Akane told her eldest sister.  
"That's wonderful!" Kasumi exclaimed, avoiding the waterfalls of joy coming from her   
father. Seeing the Saotome Matriarch's puzzled expression, she explained. "Ami-chan is   
Akane's god-sister, but we all treat her as part of the family." The mood of the Tendo sisters   
turned solemn. "Ami helped us out of some dark times."  
Nabiki turned to Ranma.  
"How about your relatives?"  
"Well, Tenchi's my cousin from pops side. In a fight between him and Kuno, I'd bet Tenchi   
by a mile." Ranma put on a nasty grin. "I reckon Ten-chan's grandpa could thrash Cologne   
and Happosai, hands down."  
"What makes you say that?"  
"Pops is about as scared of him as the old pervert."  
"Ah yes, Masaki-san." Nodoka smiled. "I wonder if I should restart my lessons?"  
"Saotome?" Soun asked his friend.  
"Yes Tendo?" Genma replied.  
"Don't anger your wife."  
"Believe me, I know that all too well."  
Ranma continued.  
"Rei's from my mom's side of the family. I think she's training to be a Shinto shrine   
priestess." He grimaced. "The curse kinda spooked her today."  
"She'll get used to it." Nabiki predicted.  
  
***  
  
In some other place, a presence stirred. It could feel power, power it craved, coming from   
outside...this place. Information, that's what it needed if it was to get the power.  
  
And slowly, it prepared  
  
----------  
  
groan  
The things I do...  
  
The inspirations for this fic are too varied to list, but the major ones are...  
Ah! Megami-sensei (A!MG/Ranma Xover in a Teenagers from Outer Space setting) by Peter Ward.  
http://www.best.com/~falcon/fanfics.htm  
  
Lines of Destiny (See the top of this post)  
(Note: I'm a number and a Human Being! ;)  
  
Happy Ever After...? (El Haz/A!MG) by Barry Cadwgan.  
  
Shin Ranma Muyo! (Ranma/Tenchi) by Achariyth.  
  
Oh! My Brother (A!MG Self Insert) & God's Toy (Oh! My Brother Xover) by Chris Angel.  
http://angel.megami.net  
  
Toltiir was created by Gregg Sharp for The Bet series.  
http://metroanime.home.mindspring.com/  
shrug  
It seemed right.  



	2. Forging of bonds.

Standard disclaimers apply. I don't own the series depicted within, but go buy them anyway.  
  
Conventions:  
~ ~ are used for thoughts and Telepathic communications.  
'-kun' and '-chan' will be used to denote Male and Female where appropriate.  
  
C&C to cobalt@elhazard.net please, Flames to /dev/null.  
  
This fic is archived at:  
My page http://www.lum.co.uk/cobalt/  
Phu's Anime Page http://members.nbci.com/phu_lam/  
  
Many thanks to my prereader Louis-Philippe Giroux dragon@fanfic.net for his input.   
Go read Lines Of Destiny at:  
http://www.anime.sobhrach.com/~dragon/lines/lines.html  
  
----------------  
The Web of Chaos  
----------------  
  
#########  
Chapter 2  
#########  
  
In the week that school had been in session, the Nerima psyche showed its remarkable   
adaptability. The new students and teachers 'adapted' with little fuss or bother. This   
was particularly true of Tenchi, as he started to alternate with Ranma on thrashing (or   
attempting to thrash) some sense into Kuno.  
The Cabal (consisting of Setsuna, Urd, Washu, Ifurita and Hinako. The last for no reason   
the other four could determine, but probably for local info) were getting along fine. Urd   
explained her careful lacing of wards around the school by saying she didn't feel comfortable   
without them. Washu figured she could adapt the sensors she was planting but the random   
flux created caused her to filter it out. Setsuna privately preferred it that way, and Ifurita   
didn't mind being experienced in ECM and ECCM. Surprisingly (or not), no secrets had   
slipped. Yet.  
The 'conglomerate' of senshi, martial artists, aliens, goddess and others had sorted itself into   
smaller groups. Some rather... odd.  
Ranma, Makoto-kun, and Tenchi had got together. That in itself was not all that odd. No, it   
was the fact Skuld had apparently insinuated herself into the group and the three young men   
didn't seem to mind that was odd. As was the fact none of the ladies chasing that group   
seemingly minded.  
Haruka and Michiru were joined by Ayeka and Nabiki most of the time. Nabiki liked   
Ayeka's devious mind and the way Michiru schooled her features. She wanted to learn that   
from the sea green-hared woman. Haruka liked Ayeka for the way she seemed to be a mix of   
her aggression and Michiru's elegance. Ayeka felt more comfortable in the presence of   
Michiru and (to a lesser extent) Haruka, while Nabiki was of an obviously finer cut than her   
schoolmates were. Michiru wanted to stay on top of things, which necessitated cultivating a   
friendship with Nabiki. She found the Nerima native a bright and resourceful young lady.   
The Senshi of Neptune was also more at ease with Ayeka. The refined young lady with   
purple ponytails was also the only person who'd taken her closeness with Haruka as perfectly   
natural, not even batting an eyelid when Haruka had kissed her rather openly.  
The remaining gaggle of girls had grouped together in one large lump, with Ukyo   
gravitating towards Makoto-chan and Ryoko towards Ami of all people.  
  
This was not to say life was anything but the standard craziness of Nerima. Far from it.   
Life at the school proved to be interesting as the newcomers found out. Washu and Urd were   
called in to try and analyse the... whatever it was that Akane cooked with Usagi's help. The   
goddess spent a good half hour believing they had created the Philosopher's Stone (or, more   
precisely, the Philosopher's semi-mobile-goop-that-had-been-an-attempt-at-a-soufle-we-  
didn't-mean-it-GOMEN-GOMEN-GOMEN!!!), and Washu wanted to take it to her Lab to   
"see what it does to all the junk from Mihoshi". Both were VERY glad other 'cooks' of their   
acquaintance hadn't been here to help.  
The regular fights (seamlessly including the latest batch of fighters) punctuated the week   
until Happosai raised a demon on Friday. Thus the first sightings of the Senshi in Nerima   
occurred. Things got a little out of hand when Happosai tried glomping the Senshi during the   
battle. Kuno got involved, which in turn led to the Nerima Wrecking Crew getting pulled in   
(they'd sensibly pulled back to let the experts deal with it). The end result was: a very pretty   
explosion; a fried/zapped/pulped ancient perverted martial artist blasted into next week   
(considering this was done by a combined blast from Pluto and Skuld, it wasn't too far from   
the truth); a 5.0-5.0-3.6 (by the Romanian judge) rating from the property damage council;   
about a hundred disappointed fans who didn't get the Senshis' autographs, and Kuno getting   
a silly idea into his head...  
  
***  
  
Tatewaki Kuno was meditating. Not to solve his perennial question (Akane Tendo or the   
pig-tailed girl), but on an idea. He had to concentrate hard, otherwise he would lose the   
fleeting concept.  
~ Hum. While the beauteous Pig-tailed girl fought alongside the wondrous, divine Sailor   
Senshi, dids't I note the flame-coloured locks that dids't fall, like Heaven's Fire, from her   
head. Such is natural for her, yet is rare. ~  
His brow creased as he slowly turned the rusty gears in his head. A second thought joined   
the previous one.  
~ The locks of the studious Professor are also of flame red coloration. ~  
The grinding of wheels in Kuno's head could almost be heard as he strained to make these   
two concepts fit. Sasuke, faithful ninja-dogsbody, waited silently in the shadows watching   
his liege worriedly as steam rose from his ears. He bowed his head and sighed.  
TWANG.  
Sasuke looked around quickly. He was sure there was a twang, as though a stretched band   
or string had broken, but he couldn't see a source.  
"OF COURSE!" Kuno had risen to his feet, his expression and posture one of profound   
revelation. "It is so obvious!"  
"Um, what is, Master Kuno?" The servant ninja asked worriedly.  
"That the studious Professor and the Pig-tailed girl are Mother and Daughter! My love must   
have brought her esteemed Mother to allow me to pursue her in a more noble fashion, and   
circumventing the dark sorceries of the foul magus Ranma Saotome!" Kuno turned to face   
the kneeling ninja. "Sasuke, thou must locate the abode of Professor Washu for it is certain   
that the magics of the dark magus have infused the school, leaving the Professor unable to   
contemplate such matters."  
In the Tendo home, Ranma felt a shiver of foreboding go through her.  
  
***  
  
Saturday.  
  
School was out, and students slept in. Well, usually.  
  
Tenchi trudged up to the address given in Nabiki's dossier. He took in the nice house, the   
dojo, and the sounds of vicious combat.  
  
Yep, he had the right place.  
  
Sighing he went through the gate, up the path, up to the front door, and knocked.  
The door was opened by a young woman in a pretty dress and an apron.  
"Hello?" She asked.  
"Um, hi. Is Ranma in?" Tenchi asked.  
"Oh my. You're not here to challenge him are you?"  
Tenchi gave the woman an odd look.  
"No, I'm his cousin Tenchi."  
"Oh, sorry. We can't be too careful, what with all Ranma's friends dropping by to fight   
him, marry him, kidnap Akane and such. I'm Kasumi." Kasumi gave a little bow, which   
Tenchi responded to. "Ranma should be out back. Come in and I'll go fetch him."  
Tenchi followed Kasumi to the Tea room to wait. Kasumi herself went out to the shogi.  
"Ranma! You have a visitor."  
"Be there in a sec Kasumi!" Ranma-chan's voice came back.  
True to her word, Ranma-chan trudged into the Tea room still slightly damp from her   
sparring session.  
"Hi Ten-chan. What brings you here?"  
"Oh, a few things. Are you sure you don't want to change and dry off first?"  
"Wha?" Ranma looked down on herself. "Oh. Er, right. Be back in a bit."  
Tenchi just chuckled as Ranma bounded off.  
  
***  
  
"My you're lively today." Makoto observed as he and Skuld left the temple.  
"So I like the weekends." Skuld humphed, then stopped to drool at the bikes outside. They   
were custom Ducatti 911 turbos.  
"Figured you might like them." Makoto chuckled.  
Sitting astride one of the bikes (black with sky blue lines) in tight bikers leathers was Ifurita.  
"Collecting again?" She teased.  
"I'm hurt." Makoto complained before kissing her on the cheek. "You haven't met Skuld   
yet have you?"  
"She's not in any of my classes."  
The young goddess came out of her drooling to notice just who Makoto's companion was.  
"Ifurita-sensei?" She asked weakly.  
"I'm only 'sensei' during school Skuld-chan." The Demon-God smiled reassuringly.  
"Um... OK. You two are together?" Skuld shook her head. "Don't let Urd find out.   
She'll 'help'."  
"I've noticed that tendency." Ifurita commented dryly.  
"So, where're we heading?"  
Makoto tossed her a spare helmet.  
"Nerima. Tenchi told me he'd be visiting Ranma today. I thought we'd drop in and watch   
the show." He smirked.  
"I suggested going to Juuban and doing some Senshi hunting." Ifurita pointed out. "But   
Makoto pointed out that we should look around the area by the school."  
"You've been talking to Hiroshi and Daisaku, right?" Skuld looked pointedly at Makoto.  
"OK. You got me. Nabiki seems to have left out a bit from those dossiers, so I'm curious   
as to what exactly." Makoto moved over to help Skuld with her helmet. "I've fitted   
earphones and mikes to the helmets." He fitted a box to her belt, then connected some jacks   
to the helmet. "I initially just wanted to fit radios, but I got fancy and added an anti-sound   
system as well. We'll be able to talk clearly, so there's no need to shout." He put his own   
helmet on. "You're with Ifurita. She's the better rider of the two of us."  
Skuld just nodded and climbed on behind the woman as Ifurita started the engine. It roared   
into life with a deep throaty growl before settling down to a smooth purr.  
"Wow! Who did you get to do the work? Even Keiichi's friends couldn't get an engine this   
perfect." Skuld asked.  
Makoto had already started his own bike (a strange flame-red, sky-blue and sea green   
combo for the colour scheme) before replying.  
"Lets just say I have a few friends who owed me a favour." Makoto's voice was amused   
over the radio.  
"Hold on very tight." Ifurita's warm voice warned before the two drivers revved the   
engines to kick in the turbos, spun the tyres and shot off, completely synchronised.  
One didn't need a radio to hear Skuld's scream of fear and delight echo into the distance.  
From the wall of the temple, Urd shook her head in amusement. Too bad Makoto and   
Ifurita seemed fine. They were an excellent couple.  
  
***  
  
Darkness.  
  
Presence. Master.  
  
A mission.  
  
Transference.  
  
In a backstreet somewhere, a cloud of blackness faded into view. It hung there, coiling and   
churning, before drifting off.  
  
***  
  
Peorth was NOT a happy bunny. She was confused, and that made her irritable. Quite a   
few things made her irritable but lets not get into that.  
Currently she was confused by the invitation from Belldandy to pop down and see them.   
Sure Belldandy was nice enough, but they were RIVALS for Kami-sama's sake. Still, she   
couldn't really turn down an invite from one of the Norns.  
So it was that Peorth, Goddess of Forever, found herself teleporting into the Tea room of the   
temple that the Norns (And Keiichi-san, can't forget him) stayed in. The two eldest sisters   
sat calmly, waiting.  
"Hello Peorth." Belldandy greeted her fellow goddess calmly.  
"Nice to see you again Belldandy, Urd." She nodded in greeting. "What's with the wards?   
They seem off."  
Belldandy smiled and turned her voice to the walls.  
"Engage." The word was intoned with magical command.  
Peorth felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise as if in fright as the privacy spell Belldandy   
had woven into the wards activated. Since the wards could literally take anything Mara could   
possibly throw at them, the privacy field was very powerful. Belldandy had not just spent her   
time doing housework. No, she had developed wards and spells of immense strength and   
power. Urd hadn't known until now why the middle goddess had left her power supply at so   
low a rate. She had been increasing her stamina for and efficiency of use of magic. Kami-  
sama had approved a threefold increase in her power flow just that day, and the effects could   
be felt now.  
"Wh..what?" The newly arrived goddess stammered.  
"Sit Peorth. There is much to be done." Urd told her.  
Peorth gulped. Urd going formal usually meant pronouncements of Destiny. She had a   
feeling things would be getting worse.  
  
***  
  
Mamoru Chiba was normally a calm and reasonably collected individual. Right now, calm   
and collected was booking passage to Never-Never Land.  
"This sounds like something out of a manga." He muttered after hearing the experiences of   
the Senshi during the week. "You aren't kidding, are you?"  
"Do I look like I'm kidding?" Ami was not happy at being doubted.  
Setsuna sighed. That alone was an indicator of how much she had to deal with.  
"If there was any way we could avoid this, I would have done it already."  
"So why not tell us the whole story Sailor Pluto?"  
The Senshi turned to look at Usagi. No, Princess Serenity. They could tell from the   
posture, the voice, the very presence projected by the person sat to the side that this was the   
Moon Princess.  
"Or must I command you to do so?" The tone was soft, cultured and regal.  
"There is no need for that Your Highness." Setsuna/Pluto replied. "There are only Two   
forces that can prevent me from maintaining the Time Stream and preventing significant   
changes. They are all a higher power than I or yourself, Your Highness. The first are those   
from whom we derive our powers, the Caretakers of Reality themselves. We would call them   
God and Goddesses. I am able to feel their work in the Time Stream, yet this did not happen.   
That leaves the second force."  
Pluto stopped, before looking each of the others there in the eyes. Her gaze swept across   
them like an arctic gale, finally resting on her Princess.  
"The Creator Himself has altered the Time Stream. His reasons are beyond anything we   
could comprehend; yet He always seeks the betterment of His creations. For Him to take   
such drastic action Himself can mean only one thing. Upon the coming battle rests not only   
our Fates, but also the Fate of the Universe itself. We were but a stepping stone in the grand   
scheme of things. Now we are of the foundation; every thing that has come before us, and   
everything yet to come relies on us." Pluto paused. "And those that we stand with." She   
finished.  
"So what is your council Sailor Pluto?" Usagi/Serenity asked. "What would you have us   
do to counter this threat to Reality Itself?"  
"Do as you would normally do." Pluto answered. "To second guess The Creator is worse   
than futile. He has set into motion events such that when necessary, the threat can be   
countered."  
"A wise council, yet one that will be grating upon us." Serenity smiled. "Yet it is not the   
first time." The smile turned into a cheeky grin. "At least we get to kick ass and take names   
at the end of it." At the shocked looks Serenity/Usagi stuck her tongue out at them.  
  
***  
  
"So what's up?" Ranma asked his cousin.  
The two of them had relocated to the dojo to talk as the Tea room had got rather crowded   
and Ranma could tell Tenchi didn't want everybody to know about whatever it was. Besides,   
Tenchi's advice to Ranma during the week had helped the martial artist through class. Well,   
Makoto had figured it out, but Tenchi had put it in terms he could understand.  
"If you work best during a battle, treat everything as a battle."  
Right now, Tenchi was pondering how to broach the subject, and how much to tell.  
"Have you ever accidentally used a Chi blast?" Tenchi asked.  
"Huh?" That was Ranma's usual reaction to things he didn't understand.  
Tenchi sighed. "I mean, you're fighting when suddenly, you use a move you don't know.   
You know you don't know it, you're not sure as to how it happened... yet you used it. Has   
that ever happened to you?"  
Ranma looked pensive. "No. This happen to you?"  
"Kinda. Think of the Neko-Ken, but you're aware of doing it. You just don't know HOW   
you're doing it."  
"So what'd ya want?"  
"I need help getting control of these abilities. The few times they've triggered, the power   
levels used were overkill."  
Ranma nodded sagely. All he understood was that his cousin had a problem and it would be   
BAD if it wasn't controlled.  
"Wanna spar?"  
Tenchi gave him a 'Huh?' look.  
"I can teach ya a few tricks, but I kinda need to figure out how much you can do."  
  
***  
  
Mousse was not a happy bunny. Well actually he was not a happy duck-that-had-been-a-  
boy-two-seconds-ago, but the general feeling was the same. Right now he was not a happy   
bunny (duck, boy, whatever) because he was in mood number 5 (Why doesn't Shampoo see   
that I love her, instead of chasing that low life Ranma? I will KILL him. Her. Whatever)   
and, like the infamous Kuno, was building up a nice head of steam. Since Mousse's last   
attack had been way back on Thursday (Yesterday had been that business with the demon and   
the Senshi), he felt that now would be a good time as his enemy would be unprepared.  
Considering that Ranma gets attacked an average of 3.6 times a day (Glomps are worth 0.4,   
Mallets 0.1), Ranma is constantly on "Watch-out-for-rivals-and-Mallets" status. This renders   
Mousse's plan moot but that's never stopped him before.  
Also consider the fact that without his glasses (and sometimes WITH them), Mousse   
couldn't see straight. The phrase 'Blind as a bat' didn't apply as most bats the Author knows   
can see better than Mousse.  
Now, taking all these factors into account, many would seriously consider the poor blind   
duck-boy insane. The Author would like to point out that this IS Nerima, and the term insane   
doesn't apply. It's too stable. However since 'obsessive-compulsive and blind to reality'   
does not quite have the same ring to it, it will have to do.  
We'll come back to Mousse in a bit, once he's found some hot water.  
  
***  
  
The two Ducatti's were travelling reasonably slowly when they came upon the Tendo dojo.   
Reasonably meant they were within the speed limit. Just.  
Their stop was as spectacular as their start. The two riders hit the brakes hard, slung the rear   
of the bike 90 degrees to the direction of travel (incidentally such that the two riders faced   
each other), and allowed the skid for about a second. They then allowed the bikes to   
complete their 180 spin and ran the rear wheels against the flow of movement to stop.  
For Skuld, her first high-speed ride on a motorbike had been a doozy.  
"Ha..has the r..ride stop..ped yet..t?" The little goddess was stuttering from adrenaline.  
The two riders chuckled and took off their helmets.  
"You'd have thought she didn't like it." Makoto commented.  
"You mean those shouts of 'Weee...', 'Yahoo!' and 'Yeeehaaaa!' weren't signs of   
enjoyment?" Ifurita asked, puzzled as Skuld tried to disentangle herself.  
"You mean those times when she wasn't praying?"  
Skuld blushed. If anyone from Above found out she had been praying for deliverance, it   
would take centuries for her to live it down.  
"I'll never pick on Keiichi again." She muttered as she got used to terra firma once more.  
When she'd started the rollercoster ride that brought her here, she had thought the bikes had   
been the most beautiful machines she had ever seen. Now the most beautiful machine she   
had ever seen was the one that a few moments ago she'd had her arms around, hanging onto   
for dear life. The one that had joined Makoto in gently teasing her.  
  
Ifurita.  
  
~ Kami-sama she's gorgeous! ~ Skuld thought.  
While Skuld was recovering, the lovers moved their bike over to the dojo walls and locked   
them down.  
~ The Motor Systems alone... ~  
The young goddess jumped when a hand was put on her shoulder.  
"You OK Skuld?" Makoto asked. "You seem kind of out of it."  
Skuld nodded dumbly.  
Makoto sighed. "I'm sorry if we over did it with the bikes..."  
Skuld smiled weakly.  
"I think I kinda needed it." She told him, but refused to elaborate. "Where'd you learn to   
ride like that anyway?"  
"From me." Ifurita replied. "I picked up the skills before moving to Japan." Well, it wasn't   
EXACTLY a lie, just not the whole truth.  
Skuld nodded. She'd check up on Ifurita sometime later.  
"Well. Let's go see what's going on?" Makoto said, walking the short distance to the dojo   
gates.  
  
***  
  
The Senshi meeting had been over for a little while now. Hotaru and Chibi-Usa were   
walking towards a nondescript house between Juuban and Nerima to pick up a friend. Ever   
since that first day at school, the three of them seemed to be together.  
"I hope Sasami's in." Hotaru commented.  
"Why shouldn't she be?" Chibi-Usa asked as they walked to the door. "She said she'd   
come out today."  
The front door of the house opened to show Ayeka about to leave. Chibi-Usa got a much   
stronger version of the feeling she had experienced when she had seen Sasami the first time.  
"Oh hello." Ayeka smiled as she noticed the two young girls. "What can I do for you?"  
"Um. Is Sasami in?" Hotaru asked.  
"Oh. You must be Hotaru and Usagi." Ayeka gave them a searching look. ~ Well they   
seem to be nice girls. ~ In fact, they both gave that comfortable feeling she got around   
Michiru, Haruka and their friends. Particularly the little Usagi; she wondered if the two of   
them were related. "I'm Ayeka, Sasami's older sister." The three of them bowed slightly to   
each other. "I'll go and tell her you are here."  
A few moments late Sasami came bouncing to the door.  
"Hi! Come in, I'm just making lunch."  
As the youngest of the Senshi made their way in, they noticed what Sasami and Ayeka were   
wearing. The kimono like outfits looked slightly too ornate and a bit too complex to be   
regular clothes, yet the two sisters looked entirely comfortable in them.  
"Well, I should be going." Ayeka announced.  
"Bye Sis." Sasami called from the kitchen. "Don't forget to pick up the groceries."  
"Sounds like you run the place." Chibi-Usa giggled.  
"Someone has to." Sasami told them as she came in, plate full of sandwiches. "I shudder   
to think what they'd do without me."  
"They look nice." Hotaru commented, pointing to the food.  
"Have one." Sasami beamed.  
Chibi-Usa grabbed one and took a bite. Her eyes widened in astonishment. The rest of the   
sandwich followed in short order.  
"Wow! These are better than Mako-chan's."  
Sasami looked on in amusement (quickly taking a couple for herself) as the two Senshi   
launched themselves at the food.  
  
***  
  
Tenchi was in a ready stance, trying to find his centre.  
Off to the side Ranma was keeping an eye on him while talking with his guests.  
"So it's a focusing technique?" Makoto asked.  
"Yeah."  
"Why in a martial arts stance?"  
"It's what I'm used to." Ranma shrugged. "If it don't work I'll try something else."  
"Don't you think about anything but martial arts?" Skuld asked peevishly.  
"Yep. Avoiding my fianc‚es, not getting killed by rivals, not getting fleeced by Nabiki..."  
"I hardly think Tendo-san is as bad as you make out." Ifurita told him.  
"So why is she taking photos of you from behind the corner?"  
The camera disappeared.  
Sighing, Ifurita turned and waved seemingly absently in that direction. A few seconds later   
a flustered Nabiki was blown around the corner, camera still in hand and a few inches off the   
ground.  
"You know, I want sixty percent of those IF you sell them."  
If Nabiki wasn't slightly freaked already (she still wasn't touching the ground), she was   
after that comment.  
"*SIXTY*?!?" Nabiki screeched. "Forty at most."  
"Sixty five." Ifurita increased. "Or I can get you expelled for unauthorised distribution of a   
teacher's image. It's in the school rules."  
Nabiki froze. She hadn't actually thought that someone would use that rule (it was   
supposed to cover school events) like that.  
"What about the rest?" Ranma asked, an evil smile on his face. "I happen to know she sells   
pictures of me in both forms, some highly questionable." He glared at the suspended young   
lady. "Not to mention her sister. Isn't kiddie porn illegal?"  
Skuld, to Ranma's secret delight, unlimbered her omnipresent mallet and aimed it at Nabiki.  
Ifurita's gaze turned stern and disapproving.  
"I see. I am sorry for doubting you Ranma-san. It seems I will have to talk to her father."  
Nabiki had turned white. Not only because Ranma KNEW of those photos, but he had said   
so in front of a teacher.  
"And I suppose a teacher going out with a student is any better?" Nabiki shot back.  
The smile on Ifurita's face was not reassuring.  
"The principal already knows. I informed him as soon as I realised."  
The middle Tendo swore silently.  
There was a sigh of disappointment from the side.  
"Nabiki, how could you?" Kasumi complained.  
That broke Nabiki. The one person she admired had found out and disapproved.  
"How else was I supposed to keep the dojo in the black?" She demanded. "Dad won't   
teach, we have two bottomless pits to feed, all the damages to fix..."  
Ifurita yanked Nabiki over to look into her eyes.  
"Fifty percent, and you WILL ask those you are taking photos of for their permission."  
"Done." Nabiki knew she wouldn't get a better deal.  
Ifurita put her down.  
"Now I doubt the damages can be that bad."  
"If it isn't Akane knocking Ranma through the walls, it's his other fiancees or a rival   
screaming-"  
"DIE RANMA!" Mousse screamed as he leapt the wall and let loose a large number of   
swords, daggers, maces and chains (with and without spikes), and assorted other weapons and   
objects.  
Unfortunately, although he for once targeted the right person, it is hard to be accurate with   
that many projectiles.  
For a moment...  
...everyone stood stock still in shock...  
...Tenchi felt his friends in danger, and found his centre...  
For a moment...  
...Tsunami jumped as she felt the surge...  
...Yggdrasil threw up an alert about a leak of the Ultimate Force on the mortal plane...  
...every alarm in Washu's lab went off...  
...Setsuna spat out her tea in shock as space/time warped...  
...Usagi heard the Ginzuishou scream out, in joy and pain...  
...Mamoru felt the Earth groan under the strain of holding the power...  
...Belldandy collapsed as her domain buckled and bent...  
For a moment...  
...Kami-sama smiled...  
...a presence stirred...  
For a moment...  
...Tenchi had total control of his power...  
For a moment.  
  
A moment is all it took.  
  
For in that moment, Tenchi moved.  
He had the Lighthawk Sword in his hand.  
All the weapons, chains and objects halted in mid-air short of their target. Then fell apart,   
completely cut through.  
Mousse's landing was light, but it was enough to jog the wall which slid slightly to show it   
to was cut through. Mousse didn't notice this, as the next moment he found himself   
embedded in the wall by the Koi pond. He spat blood.  
Ifurita had held back.  
  
Barely.  
  
Gravity peeled the duck-boy from where he hung in/on the wall, where upon he collapsed to   
the ground with a sodden thump.  
Ranma walked over to the crumpled heap that was Mousse knowing that the Amazon had   
gotten ludicrously lucky. When she had reacted, Ranma had seen in Ifurita a fully blooded   
warrior. One who had killed for less than what Mousse had just done.  
Taking the tub that he and his father sometimes used in practice, he splashed Mousse then   
lifted the duck by his neck.  
"A word of advice. DON'T try that again."  
Tossing Mu-Mu-chan into the air, he blasted the duck over the horizon. He didn't bother   
announcing the technique.  
"Everyone OK?" He asked as he turned round.  
"Nothing but shock." Ifurita announced. "Thanks to Tenchi-san."  
"Just Tenchi, Ifurita." Tenchi complained weakly.  
Ranma asked the question with a glance. Tenchi nodded, then pointed to the wall. It was   
only then that Ranma noticed it. He whistled.  
"From over there? I guess we do need to work on things."  
  
***  
  
The three friends were giggling amongst themselves in a cafe when Chibi-Usa spotted a   
familiar face.  
"Hey it's Mako-chan!" The pink-hared girl exclaimed and waved the tall pony-tailed   
brunette over.  
"Hi guys." Makoto said cheerfully. "Who's your friend?"  
Chibi-Usa and Hotaru smirked. This was TOO perfect.  
"Makoto Kino," Hotaru introduced formally, "Meet Sasami Masaki, your Arch-Rival." The   
two of them then exploded into laughter.  
When the two young girls calmed down the whole thing was explained.  
"Really?" Makoto was intrigued. "I've never met someone who could get my friends to   
say they cooked better than me. Well, there was that time with Haruka and Michiru."  
"Yeah." Hotaru giggled. "Michiru-mama really got Haruka-papa with a zinger that time."  
"Michiru-mama? Haruka-papa?!?" Sasami was confused. "Ayeka knows a couple of girls   
called Michiru and Haruka. We're not talking about the same people are... we...?" The   
azure-hared girl trailed off as Makoto nodded her head.  
Hotaru looked sheepish.  
"They're my adoptive parents."  
Sasami gave her an odd look, then shrugged.  
"Well, I call Tenchi my big brother at times."  
Makoto shook her head.  
"This is getting freaky. There are too many coincidences going on today."  
"It could be worse." Chibi-Usa pointed out. "A monster could be on a rampage."  
"Yeah. And the Sailor Senshi would turn up to destroy it." Sasami said, a slightly far away   
look in her eyes. Not noticing the glances the others at the table were passing between each   
other she continued. "I bet it's great to be a magical girl."  
"What? Prancing about in costume saying speeches?" Hotaru asked.  
Sasami switched tone.  
"I am the Magical Warrior Pretty Sammy! In the name of Love and Justice, prepare to be   
punished!" She pronounced, making motions with her hands.  
The Senshi couldn't help themselves. They laughed.  
"And then you'd whack them over the head with a heart topped baton." Chibi-Usa added.  
Sasami giggled.  
"I suppose when you put it like that it does seem rather silly." Sasami sighed. "But at least   
you get to do SOMETHING."  
Her friends raised eyebrows at that.  
"Come on." Makoto said, getting up. "Let's head to the arcade."  
  
***  
  
Mousse was battered, bruised and had a couple of broken ribs.  
"Damn you Ranma!" He whispered hoarsely. He didn't know who that woman was at the   
Tendo's, but she had to be Ranma's fault. Admittedly he wasn't thinking straight, as the pain   
made his thoughts travel Ryoga-like paths.  
Darkness descended, and he passed out.  
  
***  
  
~ Sometimes I wonder why I bother. ~ Washu thought as she checked the brief readings.   
~ For a moment I thought it was Mihoshi again. ~ But it wasn't.  
Checking over the results, the redhead was amazed that her sensors were in one piece. The   
power surge should have burned them out. Heck, she was amazed the planet was still in one   
piece.  
~ Hum... This looks like Tenchi. ~ Washu noted. A sudden panic gripped her. ~ Is he   
OK? ~ She worried, typing furiously. ~ Location: Tendo Dojo, Nerima. The place where   
Tenchi's cousin Ranma lives. ~ Washu breathed a sign of relief. ~ At least nothing has   
turned up on my scope as a threat. ~  
  
***  
  
At the Arcade, the three Senshi and Sasami bumped into Minako who was playing the Sailor   
V game.  
"Feh." Minako complained as she lost her last life. "I was this close to beating my record   
too."  
"You take that game WAY too seriously Mina-chan." Makoto shook her head sadly.  
"Hah! I'd like to see you do better."  
"I'll have a go." Sasami said timidly.  
Minako got out of the way and gestured grandly for her to take her place.  
  
***  
  
Ifurita watched as Ranma practised.  
"I wouldn't mind sparring with you Ranma."  
Ranma stopped and looked at her.  
"Sorry. I don't fight girls."  
Ifurita shook her head. "That's just plain stupid Ranma. Besides, I'm not a girl." She said   
with a dangerous look in her eyes. "I'm a Woman."  
Ranma raised an eyebrow in imitation of Nabiki. "Oh? And how does that make it   
different?"  
"You may change into one, but you still have much to learn about the female of the   
species." Ifurita said sadly. "Your refusal to fight women will be your death Ranma."   
Seeing she wasn't getting through to him, she tried another tack. "You wish to teach Martial   
Arts correct?"  
Ranma nodded.  
"Did you honestly think you would only teach men? That sort of sexist attitude will do you   
no good in this day and age. You readily acknowledge your father to be an idiot, correct?"  
Again, Ranma nodded.  
"Then why do you hold to his way of thinking?"  
"It's how I was raised. The code..."  
"Does not apply in this case." Ifurita stood. "Ranma Saotome, I challenge you to a duel.   
Should I win, you follow my instructions as to how you should act. Should I loose, I will   
never mention this again. Do you accept, or yield?" The whole challenge was delivered with   
Ifurita's Demon-God tone of voice.  
Ranma was not feeling very sure of himself at that moment. The tone of voice used   
screamed 'I can kill you so easily it is frightening'. However, he had never backed down   
from a challenge, so despite his misgivings he assumed a ready stance.  
"I accept your challenge, and agree to your terms." Somehow he realised he should have   
specified not to do anything with his girl-side, but he KNEW she would not abuse the power   
she might have over him (It was a Martial Artist thing).  
Ifurita went into combat mode, setting herself in a modified cat stance.  
Silence reigned in the Dojo for a few moments.  
Ranma launched his assault with a low kick, coming to the conclusion his teacher (and   
maybe friend) was able to out-wait him. Ifurita merely side-stepped the kick, responding   
with a mid-high kick of her own at Ranma's lowered head. Ranma rolled sideways to avoid,   
came to his feet and burst forward. Ifurita blocked the oncoming storm of punches and kicks   
calmly, counter-striking where available.  
As the fight went on, Ifurita analysed Ranma's style. She dissected it, examined it and   
catalogued it.  
~ Very good. It seems to be a combination of different styles, but no linking factor. A kick   
followed by a knife hand chop? Those two shouldn't really be able to go together. He adapts   
quickly. Far too quickly. It's as if he was trained to adapt as fast as possible. ~ The   
learning systems kicked in a major link to the analysis routines, then locked out Ifurita's   
conscious control of her body. Combat control went to the autonomic systems temporally.  
~ What the...? ~ The Demon-God recognised the event. It was for when her core   
consciousness went offline. The problem being she was still awake.  
Every major combat and computational system engaged in a major functional review.   
Ifurita could only watch as whatever was happening went on. She finally realised what was   
happening.  
~ Adaptation and creativity routines. They are being upgraded. Massively upgraded. And   
added to all my systems. ~  
The entire process took less than thirty seconds, then Ifurita took control again. The new   
and improved Tactical analysis of the time under autonomous control yielded a few new   
insights into the Anything Goes style.  
~ He still isn't taking me seriously. ~ Ifurita noted. There was a distinct lack of offence on   
Ranma's part. ~ Time to divest him of that attitude. ~  
Ranma was stunned as he was suddenly hit several times with a strength above Ryoga's,   
then tossed about like a rag doll before finally being thrown into the floor so hard he   
temporarily blacked out.  
"You will need to do far better than that Ranma." Ifurita told him as he slowly made his   
way to his feet. "Otherwise you will find yourself IN the ground instead of ON it."  
On Ranma's personal scale, Ifurita had just bumped herself up to Taro-like threat levels.  
~ I knew she was good for smashing Mousse like that, but this? ~ He was not expecting   
this sort of thing from a woman other than Cologne.  
Ifurita detected the increase in power from Ranma before his battle aura flared into being.  
"OK Ranma, it seems you have decided to take me seriously at last. I hope you have   
learned from that mistake."  
Ranma's answer was to jump straight in at a higher level.  
"Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken!"  
Ifurita couldn't block all the strikes and was knocked back. Ranma didn't let up.  
"Mouko Takabisha!"  
Ifurita took the blast dead on, throwing her further back.  
~ Better. He's actually considering me a threat now. ~ She thought as she got up. Her   
systems were already integrating the attacks into her repertoire. The were also analysed and   
discovered to used the same principles, even though they produced hugely different effects.  
~ Ifurita: Force Bolt. ~  
Ifurita pointed her palm at Ranma and blasted him to the far end of the Dojo.  
~ What the hell was that? ~ Ranma thought as he pulled himself from the wall. ~ It   
wasn't a chi blast. I didn't sense it! ~  
~ Ifurita: Flame Arrow. ~  
Ranma reacted to the heat build-up.  
"Hiryuu Shouten Ha revised! Horizontal Blast!"  
Ifurita weathered the attack, watching in interest as her own was extinguished.  
~ Analysis: Tornado attack. Caused by hot and cold air reaction. Energy source designated   
Chi/Ki analysed. Integrating. ~  
Ifurita smiled to herself as the knowledge came in. This should be fun.  
Cupping her hands together she created and gathered her chi then attacked, thrusting her   
hands forward.  
"Ha!" She yelled.  
Ranma definitely sensed it this time, as a chi blast THREE times the size of his Mouko   
Takabisha roared down on him. He barely dodged in time. The wall wasn't so lucky, being   
disintegrated by the attack.  
~ Analysis: Point five-percent blast at Level 2 effectiveness. Attack registered as Kami   
Hami Ha. Theoretical Max effectiveness equivalent to Bright Arrow. ~  
~ Makoto watched way too much Dragonball when was young. ~ Ifurita thought wryly.  
Now that Ifurita was giving off chi, Ranma could sense she had far more where that came   
from. He jumped to his highest fighting level; the level he killed Saffron at.  
Ifurita's sensors went off milliseconds before Ranma's vicious assault began. The two of   
them went at it tooth and nail, Ifurita utilising the Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken throughout   
her body at a level Ranma could only dream about.  
~ Ifurita: Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken revised: Thunderstorm. ~  
Ranma was hit over 2000 times in 1.2 seconds. The stuttering, thundering crack as hands,   
arms, elbows, legs and feet repeatedly shattered the sound barrier blew out the paper thin   
walls of the Dojo in a shockwave.  
The inhabitants and guests of the Tendo household looked at the Dojo in shock. The first   
explosion had attracted them to the building behind the house, and now... It had no walls at   
all. The roof was miraculously undamaged. They could see inside to the still standing   
Ifurita, who only looked slightly dusty, and the collapsed Ranma, whose clothing was in   
tatters.  
Ifurita looked to the crowd and said simply...  
"I win."  
  
***  
  
Minako's jaw was hanging a good half metre down from its usual position.  
Sasami finished entering her name into the scoreboard. She turned and smiled brightly.  
"Tada!"  
"Well, what do you know. She completed the Sailor V game." Makoto was stunned.  
"You did know there are no zeros on the score counter?" Chibi-Usa pointed out.  
Hotaru didn't say a word.  
"Aw, I just play lots of computer games." ~ Not that there's much else to do. ~ Sasami   
thought. ~ Besides, this doesn't even come close to Washu's! ~  
  
***  
  
The redhead in question had just arranged the repairs to the Tendo Dojo after being called   
by Tenchi. Now she was playing twenty questions with Ifurita.  
"Now, how exactly did you do blow out the walls?"  
"I hit him 2084 times in 1.2 seconds. Each hit was at roughly 1.4 times the speed of sound."   
Ifurita shrugged. "Hyper compression on the shock waves effectively created a supersonic   
wall of sound, much like a bomb going off."  
"Ifurita has a talent for picking up methods and techniques." Makoto told them. "Although   
I didn't expect this."  
"Sorry." Ifurita smiled winsomely. "But for some reason chi techniques seem really easy.   
I hardly put any effort into my chi blast, and it STILL was about three times what Ranma   
used on me." ~ Ifurita: The energy conversion from my reserves has a 3000% magnification   
factor Makoto. ~  
~ Makoto: 3000%?!? Jeez, that's about the same rate as for your staff. ~  
"This I have to see." Washu said.  
Ifurita walked out side and cupped her hands in preparation.  
~ Ifurita: Kami Hami Ha. One percent. ~  
"When you're ready."  
"HA!" Ifurita launched a column of energy two metres in diameter into the sky.  
"OK." Nabiki recovered from Ifurita's earlier pronouncement of hitting Ranma so many   
times in a second that Cologne would freak. "Note to self. No bets against Ifurita-san in a   
fight."  
"That's a no-brainer Nabiki." Ranma's tired voice came from behind.  
"Jeez Ran-chan." Tenchi said, looking him over. "Don't you think you've had enough for   
one day?"  
"I'd agree." Ifurita commented. "However I believe Ranma has a reason for trying to kill   
himself at the moment."  
Ranma managed a weak chuckle.  
"Good fight, Sensei."  
Ifurita smiled and nodded. "Now get your ass back in bed!" She ordered.  
Ranma did as he was told, chuckling all the way.  
  
***  
  
The power was around here. It could sense it. The Master would have the power.  
  
***  
  
"Wow. These are better than mine." Sasami said, grabbing another blueberry muffin.  
They were at Makoto's apartment. Minako was not feeling too good. Hotaru, after getting   
over her shock, joined with Chibi-Usa in trying to contain giggles at the blonde's distress.  
"How about we swap recipes?" Makoto asked.  
"Sure." Sasami thought the guys back home would love these muffins. "Got a piece of   
paper?"  
"On the desk. Second from the right."  
Sasami nodded and went to get some writing materials.  
"I like her." Makoto announced.  
Just as their communicators went off.  
Minako activated hers first.  
"Go."  
"There's a dark energy signature in Nerima." Mercury's voice came from the device.   
"Pluto and Mars are suspicious, Moon and Tuxedo-Kamen say it's heading for a power   
source there. A very BIG power source."  
"Be there ASAP. Saturn and Chibi-Moon may be late."  
"Roger."  
In the other room, Sasami fell against the desk as she felt Tsunami's power.  
~ Sasami: What?!? ~  
~ Tsunami: Close your eyes for a moment. Your precognition is kicking in. ~  
Sasami did as she was asked and saw...  
  
...Someone struggling inside a shell of darkness. The shell was fighting the...Senshi? And   
a staff-wielding warrior with bloodstained hands, cloaked in Love.  
But the last of the warriors was someone she recognised instantly. Tenchi!...  
  
Sasami's eyes snapped open.  
~ Tsunami: I'm on it Sasami. Don't worry. ~ The presence faded to a background level.  
Sasami worried nevertheless as she picked up some paper.  
  
***  
  
Pluto was scared. This was not a state she was regularly in. The Princess and Prince were   
certain that the darkness was after the power they had all felt. The concept of such power   
existing without her knowing about it was frightening enough, but for an unknown   
enemy...ANY enemy...to gain control of it...  
She pressed ahead of the others, using her temporal senses to locate the power source while   
Mercury tracked the dark energy.  
~ How in the name of Serenity can that much power just disappear? ~ She wondered.  
Mercury had her visor on, and was trying to project the destination...damn it, of COURSE it   
would go there.  
  
***  
  
"Thank you for the tea Kasumi-san." Tenchi bowed. "But I really must be going."  
"Same here." Skuld said. "It's been fun, but my sister wants me back by two." ~ And I   
really want to tell her about you. ~ She added silently.  
"OK. Do you want to take Skuld home or should I?" Makoto asked.  
"You go ahead." Ifurita smiled at him. "I have a few things still to discuss with Ranma."  
"OK. Come on then Skuld."  
"What is it about Nerima that causes all the craziness?" Tenchi muttered under his breath as   
they walked out the front door. Makoto heard and repressed a smile.  
"Will we be going back the same way we came?" Skuld asked Makoto.  
"Not quite. I'm not as good a rider as Ifurita."  
"Fine." Skuld said, relieved she wouldn't have another 30-minute roller-coaster ride. "I   
could do with-" The little goddess suddenly stopped.  
"What is it?" Tenchi asked, noticing her look.  
"Darkness." Skuld intoned. "Something bad."  
The two young men began looking around for trouble. Out of the corner of his eye, Tenchi   
spotted movement and turned to see...  
Mousse landing on the wall of the Tendo compound.  
"Oh great." He groaned quietly. "What do you want now Mousse?"  
"That isn't Mousse." Skuld growled ominously, slipping her hand beneath her over-shirt to   
her bombs.  
"What do you mean?" Makoto asked. None of them moved their eyes from the figure on   
the wall, a habit picked up from their experiences.  
"He's possessed or something."  
"You sure? That looks like Mousse." Mousse let off an evil laugh. "Sound like him too.   
Well, mostly."  
"His eyes Makoto." Tenchi pointed out. "It looks like he can see for once."  
Makoto peered at the man on the wall.  
"And the fact his eyes are completely black didn't clue you in?"  
"They're almost completely black Makoto." Tenchi said. "It's the little details like that that   
make all the difference."  
"Where is she?" Growled Mousse. "I would take my vengeance upon she who humiliated   
me."  
"OK. Now that is most definitely NOT Mousse." Tenchi observed. "He has better sense   
than to sound like he's borrowed Kuno's speechwriter. I sometimes wonder where Kuno   
found one locked in the 16th century."  
"You mean he doesn't make them up?" Skuld asked.  
"Come on Skuld. This is Kuno we're talking about." Makoto pointed out. ~ Makoto:   
Ifurita, dear. We have a guest asking for you. Its Mousse, and we think he's possessed. ~  
~ Ifurita: Oh? Why? ~  
~ Makoto: He sounds like he's borrowed Kuno's speechwriter. ~ There was a pause; ~   
Oh, and his eyes are almost completely black. ~ Makoto added, almost as an afterthought.  
~ Ifurita: Oh, all right. But only because you asked so nicely. ~  
~ Sarcasm is a wonderful thing. ~ Makoto thought dryly.  
"You again?" Ifurita called from the shogi. "I'd have thought you would have learned your   
lesson." There was a stern look of disapproval on the Demon-God's face.  
"Ouch." Makoto winced quietly. "She's... Upset."  
"That's a Bad Thing(TM) right?" Skuld asked rhetorically.  
"Along the lines of juggling high explosive on a unicycle?" Tenchi added.  
"Discretion is the better part of valour, and 'dis creature knows when to get out of here."   
Makoto replied.  
"Anything, but no more puns." Skuld winced.  
Tenchi knocked them flying to the sound of a hefty thunk.  
"I don't think whoever it is liked it either." Tenchi commented. Where they had been   
standing was a large double-handed scimitar, it's tip buried in the doorframe.  
A miniature waterspout rose from the Koi pond to hit Mousse.  
Who wasn't affected.  
"OK..." Tenchi drawled. "That's the clincher."  
Mousse leapt, and let fly with a hailstorm of projectiles. Acting on instinct, Skuld tossed a   
bomb above herself, Tenchi and Makoto.  
Impressive force met high explosive object. The results were fairly predictable.  
Skuld's bomb exploded, shredding the weaponry aimed at the trio. It also provided a   
smokescreen and headaches for them.  
Ifurita struck back instantly, avoiding the junk directed at her by launching herself to meet   
the possessed duck-boy in mid-air. Mousse countered by pulling a cast iron cauldron out of a   
sleeve to use as a shield.  
The sullen ring of the cauldron filled the air.  
Using the impact point, Ifurita pivoted round to deliver a vicious roundhouse kick to the   
back of Mousse's neck. The force drove the young man into the ground like an artillery   
shell, dirt exploding from the point of impact. A quick wind-blast cleared the dust for Ifurita   
to drop towards Mousse like a missile. The possessed Amazon barely rolled out of the way.   
The ground where he had lain was not so lucky, shattering under the force of the Demon-  
God's kick.  
Mousse rose to a defensive stance to meet...  
An Ifurita who was through playing.  
~ No more Miss Nice Demon-God. ~ The blue-hared doomsday weapon mentally snarled.   
~ Ifurita: Kami Hami Ha. Two percent. ~  
The blazing column of chi roared from her outstretched hands as though escaping from Hell.   
The sometime Peking duck didn't have time to consider blinking before being engulfed.  
Mousse emerged a bit singed, which surprised Ifurita a bit. As she watched however,   
Mousse's white robes shimmered and darkened to deepest black.  
~ Analysis: Energy from attack absorbed. Recommend caution. ~  
The thing controlling Mousse's body smiled an evil grin.  
"Yes. You will suit the Master's purpose well."  
Without warning chains lashed out at Ifurita.  
"Dead Scream."  
The magical attack smashed through the chains, driving into the ground at Mousse's feat   
before exploding and sending the Amazon flying backwards.  
Ifurita took a moment to look up and saw four Senshi and their evening dressed friend   
standing on the roof. She recognised Sailor Moon without difficulty, Mercury and Mars took   
a little time, and the last...was...  
The mysterious Sailor Pluto herself. Ifurita's eyes widened as she began to recognise the   
staff wielding Senshi, her countermeasure systems penetrating the magical fields protecting   
the Senshi's identity.  
~ Tactical: Enemy recovering. ~  
That put paid to the analysis of the Senshi as Ifurita returned her attention to the fight.  
"So, the Sailor Senshi arrive." Mousse snarled.  
"He's suffering from possession." Mercury warned from behind her visor.  
"And he knows who we are, so need for the speech." Mars put in.  
"Aw, but I like the speech." Moon whined.  
~ And these are the people who protect the world? ~ Ifurita asked herself.  
Mousse let loose with a storm of knives towards the Senshi, who leapt away.  
"Shine Aqua Illusion!" Mercury directed a blast of water at the enemy, who dodged.  
Into Mars's sights.  
"Mars Flame Sniper!"  
The fire arrow hit, knocking Mousse back a bit but otherwise not doing any apparent   
damage.  
~ Analysis: Energy absorbed. Impulse delivered correctly. Recommend kinetic attacks. ~  
Ifurita smashed into Mousse with a wind attack.  
"Be careful! He's absorbing the energy. Go for attacks with lots of impact." The Demon-  
God called before directing a Chi blast at the ground under Mousse's feet, throwing him   
slightly airborne. Pluto understood quickly, closing for a sharp kick to the stomach followed   
by her bringing her staff up under the chin of her opponent with all the force she could   
muster. It wasn't quite Akane-class, but it did launch him high.  
Ifurita was waiting with a Badger's Slash. She grinned evilly.  
"Spike!"  
The road outside the dojo compound suddenly developed a large crater and an irate   
possessed master of hidden weapons.  
"Good. Very good." Mousse coughed as he rose. "The Master will be pleased." He leapt   
over the wall and targeted the lone Mercury. "You can die." He said coldly, firing off   
another storm of weapons.  
"Mercury!" Sailor Moon screamed.  
The Senshi of Mercury stood frozen like a rabbit caught in the headlights of a truck.   
Seconds from impact a blazing blue light trail swished through the air in a beautifully   
complex pattern. Blinking a few times to the sound of metal hitting the hard ground,   
Mercury focused on the figure in front of her.  
Dressed in an odd brown, black and white outfit that allowed freedom of movement and   
seemed to be body armour (Not that the Senshi could complain. Their fuku's were much the   
same, appearing flimsy and revealing but with high protection value). Apparently male.   
From the profile, his (?) lower face was covered by a mask, the upper by a solid, opaque   
seeming visor. But most surprising was the strangely crafted hilt he held, and the glowing   
blue blade of energy humming from it. He was holding a lightsaber, like from Star Wars.  
"Are you OK?" The male voice was carefully modulated, screaming a highly advanced   
distortion technology. The studious Senshi concluded the rest of the readings she may have   
got on the figure would be equally distorted. She nodded carefully.  
Tenchi was glad that his battle armour had some sort of cover for his face, as he didn't want   
to make TOO much of an impact and try to keep it a secret. Seems it had some stealth and   
disguise features as well, which he wished he'd known about sooner.  
~ I could have really used them to get away from the girls at times. ~ He thought   
morosely, watching Sailor Mercury nodding out of the corner of his eye. He then returned   
his full attention to the fight.  
Sailor Moon was in a quandary. Since the possessed martial artist seemed to be able to   
adsorb the energy of attacks launched against him, she couldn't hit him with her standard   
attacks for fear of supercharging him. Also, if it hadn't been for the new guy in the odd outfit   
Mercury would have been sliced and diced.  
And she had this craving for ramen for some odd reason.  
~ Great. Hungry in the middle of a battle. Good going Usagi. ~ She internally groaned. ~   
Rei will pick on me for a month. ~  
She was suddenly clutched protectively by Tuxedo Kamen as he brought up his cloak to   
protect them.  
Pluto and Ifurita came in from both sides of Mousse, who blocked Ifurita with a cauldron   
and Pluto with the kitchen sink.  
"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" Mercury had her visor down, and tried triggering the   
Amazon's Jusenkyo curse. All present saw Mousse's eyes and robes return to normal for a   
second upon impact. Black lightning began crackling across his body.  
Mousse chuckled as he got up.  
"Not bad. Not bad at all." Inky-black orbs gazed out at them. "But you'll have to do   
better."  
"Is that why you seem to be having problems controlling the body you've possessed?"   
Mars asked snidely.  
"Oh, I'm having no trouble at all." Mousse grinned evilly.  
Before anyone could react, an explosion of crackling darkness engulfed the courtyard.  
  
***  
  
Belldandy paused.  
"Did either of you just feel that?" She asked.  
Peorth felt justifiably surprised out.  
"What now...?" She trailed off as well.  
Urd looked at the two higher ranging goddesses in askance.  
"What?"  
"Something big." Peorth looked at Belldandy.  
"Near Skuld." The goddess of the Present nodded.  
  
***  
  
Uranus and Neptune were nearing the battle sight when chills ran up their spines.  
"Wha...?" Uranus asked her companion when the dome of black energy appeared. With it,   
a distant feeling of sheer terror flooded them.  
"Princess!"  
Their run turned into a mad dash.  
  
***  
  
Pluto looked around.  
"No." She breathed. "No, not again."  
Unbidden, she began to run towards the flames...  
...That were engulfing the palace of the Moon Kingdom. That were destroying all she held   
dear.  
She knew she couldn't prevent it, but still she charged desperately to save the person she   
loved from dying...  
  
***  
  
Moon whimpered unheard over the mad laughter.  
Her friends were dying around her, sacrificing their lives for hers. Her Prince, dying in her   
arms from doing the same. Why must they do so?  
  
Why?...  
  
***  
  
The city below was beautiful. Ifurita marvelled at it.  
  
But that didn't stop the doom it was about to face.  
  
Ifurita didn't want to do this. Such peace should not be destroyed. But she could do   
nothing as her arm raised her staff; as her systems charged up the instruments of death that   
they held.  
Showing no emotion on her face she fired, bringing fire and destruction to the beautiful city.  
And fired.  
And fired.  
And fired.  
Ifurita's soul screamed soundlessly and she shed a single tear over the expressionless visage   
as she snuffed out more and more lives...  
  
***  
  
Tuxedo Kamen pounded futilely on the barrier between him and his love. He had to get   
there. He HAD to!  
As he watched, his love cradled their future child as the pink-hared girl faded away...  
  
***  
  
Mars and Mercury felt their resistance failing. They had to hang on!  
But it was no use, and as darkness fell upon them they turned and raised their arms to attack   
their Princess...  
  
***  
  
Tenchi recognised where he was almost immediately.  
  
He was standing on the bridge of the Ryo-Oh. His attack on the Soja was... Had failed.   
And Death, riding brilliant green light, was coming for him.  
Had come for him. This had been the most terrifying day of his life...  
  
But he had survived it.  
  
As the fear built to overwhelm him, he smiled. And reached out to embrace his birthright.  
  
***  
  
"Please tell me you have an idea?" Neptune asked.  
The two Senshi stood on the roof across from the dome of darkness, watching as the   
occasional bolt of black lightning trace its way over the surface.  
Uranus sighed.  
"I wish I did love. I wish I did."  
They stood there in silence until they felt something change. Looking, they saw WHITE   
lightning fighting and overwhelming the black.  
And the two Outer Senshi prayed.  
  
***  
  
Pluto lay sobbing over the body of her beloved. It was over; she had no reason to live. She   
could not live without...  
"Setsuna...?"  
The Time Guardian's head came up sharply to see the fatally exhausted but triumphant eyes   
of her love sparkling back at her.  
"They will survive..." Pluto heard the whispered voice as the person beneath her used the   
last of their strength to pull their lips closer.  
"Please... Help them to succeed..." They were almost kissing.  
"For me..." Down the Guardian's head came.  
"I love you..." Contact.  
Setsuna held the tender kiss until her love's spirit passed on. Raising her head to look down   
upon the face of her love, teardrops dotting it now and then, she whispered her reply.  
"I promise... My Queen."  
  
***  
  
A beam of light escaped the dome as white, jagged lines of power converged here and   
there...  
  
***  
  
She could feel them, her friends. Their spirits surrounded her, comforting and encouraging   
her.  
Helping her.  
She was not alone. Never alone. She was...  
The Princess.  
  
With that thought firmly in her mind, she brought forth the Ginzuishou against her enemy...  
  
***  
  
Another beam escaped...  
  
***  
  
The barrier cracked. It was weakening!  
Another crack. Another...  
Tuxedo Kamen put all his strength into this last hit...  
  
***  
  
Their princess smiled at them, and they faltered. They could not... Would not hurt HER!  
  
***  
  
Three shafts of light smashed out of the dome as it began to tremble...  
  
***  
  
This was just a memory. She was past this...  
  
***  
  
A latticework of twinkling lines appeared. The dome seemed to groan...  
  
***  
  
Tenchi stretched out his arms.  
"Nice try." He chuckled.  
  
And spread his wings.  
  
***  
  
The black dome exploded outwards, shattering into countless motes that disbursed   
harmlessly.  
"Very pretty." Kasumi commented.  
Hanging above the courtyard in a black cloud was an unconscious Mousse.  
"~ You think that will defeat me? ~" A soundless voice told the recovering forces of good.  
"How about this then! Submarine Reflection!"  
The voice cried out in rage as the blast knocked the Amazon out of its grasp. The boy   
landed heavily, with a small wisp of black mist clinging to him, trailing back to the main   
body.  
"Now Sailor Moon!" Tuxedo Kamen called.  
"Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!" The Senshi leader fired upon the duck-boy, and an   
inhuman cry of pain filled the air.  
"It has no host. Now what?" Mars asked.  
Ifurita positioned herself under the cloud and called to Pluto.  
"Your staff!"  
Pluto readily complied, and Ifurita started twirling it like a baton above her head as she   
focused.  
"Try this on for size." She snarled and launched a micro-hurricane into the cloud.  
"~ NNNOOOOO!!!!!! ~" The anguished cry resounded throughout the district as the cloud   
was torn apart. Finally the cloud dissipated, and the Demon-God let her attack lapse.  
~ Tactical: Enemy terminated. ~  
~ Analysis: Attack registered as Black Cloud Dervish. ~  
Ifurita handed the staff back to its owner.  
"Well. THAT was fun." She muttered sarcastically. "Anyone have any idea as to what we   
just fought? And why?"  
"No." Pluto replied. "However, we would like you to answer some questions."  
"Are you willing to put that on an even base?"  
Mercury shook her head in resignation.  
"Look you two-" She began.  
"Blue-hared witch! Prepare to die!" Mousse roared as he...  
...made to leap, but found himself stapled to the floor by a rose.  
"Space Sword Blaster!"  
Needless to say, Mousse found himself once again catching up on his nappy time.  
"Uranus, was that really necessary?" Moon looked at the smoking body of the blind   
Amazon.  
"Hey, I needed some stress relief."  
As the two of them started to argue, Mercury turned to her saviour. Who wasn't there.   
Realising where SHE was, she turned to her fellow Senshi.  
"Guys? We have got to go."  
"Huh? Oh right." Moon turned away from Uranus to nod at Ifurita, then jumped with her   
fellows to the rooftops and disappeared.  
"At least that's over with." Ifurita commented as she looked down on the comatose form of   
their attacker. She slowly grinned as an idea formed. "Well, almost..."  
  
***  
  
"Thanks guys. I've had a great time." Sasami smiled at her companions.  
"Aw, do you have to go so soon?" Chibi-Usa pouted.  
"If I'm not there, one of the others will start dinner." Sasami shuddered.  
"That bad?"  
"You have NO idea."  
"Sounds like Usagi and Minako." Hotaru giggled.  
"Worse probably." Sasami looked at the time. "Well I got to go. See you at school!" She   
waved cheerily as she left.  
"Bye!" The two remaining girls waved.  
"That was fun. Poor Minako, getting beaten at her own game." Chibi-Usa giggled.  
"You're bad." Hotaru declared, folding her arms across her chest and looking severe.   
Chibi-Usa took one look at her friend and collapsed in laughter. After a few seconds, Hotaru   
joined her.  
  
***  
  
Shampoo was bouncing across the rooftops, mad as Ryoga. Mousse hadn't been around the   
Nekohanten all day.  
~ Ooo. You are SO dead Mousse. Maybe I SHOULD make Peking Duck out of you. ~  
"I do hope you remember this lesson Mousse." A voice said idly nearby. "I'd hate to have   
to reinforce this."  
Shampoo stopped and looked over the edge of the roof she was occupying. There, strolling   
casually by, was Ifurita. Hog-tied and helplessly flung over her shoulder was a rather oddly   
beaten up Mousse. Having seen many ways the terminally near-sighted Amazon youth had   
been beat up, Shampoo was surprised to see signs of freezing, fire, wood, metal, chi, ki,   
brick, mortar and concrete damage over Mousse's body. There were also less identifiable   
marks on his body, plus the occasional whip mark.  
"What you doing?" Shampoo asked as she leapt down.  
"I believe this is yours." The Demon-God said blandly, dropping Mousse to the ground at   
the purple-hared girl's feet. "Try to take better care of it in the future."  
As Ifurita walked away, Shampoo looked down in disgust at Mousse.  
"What mess have you gotten yourself in now?" She acidly demanded in Chinese.  
Mousse didn't reply; he was still comatose.  
  
***  
  
In the other place, the presence received the tatters of blackness so recently dispersed and all   
the energy contained therein. Information gained, yet more needed.  
It prepared anew.  
  
***  
  
Washu put down the phone, and sighed. The CIA were such pains. At least MI6 were   
polite in their dealings.  
~ Why would that Kuno boy want my address? ~ She wondered. ~ Ah I'll figure it out   
later. ~  
"Dinner's ready!" Sasami's voice called from the kitchen of the city house they used during   
the week. Portable wormholes were SUCH a convenience.  
  
----------  
  
YES!!! I've finally got this chapter finished!  
  
insert scenes of rejoicing  
  
For those of you wondering what the heck took so long (I've got lots of emails proving that), it was   
a combination of things:  
  
1) That Arch-enemy of all writers... Writer's Block! And this one was the size of SDF-1 (Washu, I'll   
give the Dimensional Cannon back in a bit. OK?).  
  
2) Real Life. I *DO* work for a living you know.  
  
3) Getting a website sorted. See the beginning of this fic for details. 


End file.
